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Emotional intelligence and persistence outweigh raw academic brilliance in quant trading
  • Nang observes that many top quant traders are not math Olympiad champions; instead they possess high emotional intelligence and doggedness.
  • He notes that being “smart” does not guarantee success; the ability to stay calm under pressure and interpret market sentiment is crucial.
  • This aligns with his earlier point that discipline and rigor are more valuable than raw intellect.
  • The implication for hiring is to value soft skills alongside technical ability.
Rishi NangTitans Of Tomorrow01:47:06

Supporting quotes

There is a lot of really, really smart people in this business. My most of my career has been picking quant traders not actually doing the quant trading. Rishi Nang
Being smarter means nothing. It's also interesting because I would assume from my own experience ... there is no signal in that. Rishi Nang

From this concept

The Human Element: Intelligence, Doggedness & Egolessness

Nang argues that raw IQ matters little; success depends on emotional intelligence, perseverance, and humility.

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